Kevin Haskin: Chiefs come together to preserve tight win

Charles provides punch at end to give KC second victory under Reid

Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) celebrates a touchdown with fans during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Late in the fourth quarter Sunday, the stat line for Jamaal Charles was one you circle in defeat.

The star running back for the Kansas City Chiefs had eight yards on the ground. His rushing average was roughly what fans achieved per minute in their vehicles if they happened to get to Arrowhead Stadium after 10 a.m.

None of those numbers mattered, however, to Charles. He realized in the clutch it would be up to him to preserve a hard-fought 17-16 victory Kansas City gained against the Dallas Cowboys.

“I knew that moment was going to be mine and I was glad to carry the team on my back,” Charles said.

Charles gained 47 yards on eight carries as the Chiefs burned 3 minutes, 34 seconds, taking the clock down to :16. Just as important, the yardage gained — coupled with the pinpoint leg of punter Dustin Colquitt — gave the Cowboys the ball back on their 4-yard line.

Game over.

In the first two weeks of Andy Reid’s first season as Kansas City’s coach, the Chiefs matched their win total of a year ago. And they did so without Charles, who was nursing a sore quadriceps, being at his best. Although he did lead KC with six receptions.

The turnaround is far from complete. Each unit committed mistakes.

The defense had little clue how to cover Dez Bryant. But there was a kicker — a late drop by the Cowboys’ top receiver was as influential as any of his nine receptions for 141 yards.

The offense went five straight possessions without a score after barging for a touchdown on its first series. But there was a kicker — for the second game in a row the Chiefs committed no turnovers and made the most of the 10 points they tacked on in the second half.

The special teams goofed by picking up a punt at the 2-yard line, which prompted an illegal touch because a player had stepped out of bounds. Also, Knile Davis was sent deep for the last kickoff and almost blew the game by muffing the return. Of course, there was a kicker. His name is Colquitt, who averaged 43.9 yards per punt and dumped five attempts inside the 20.

“That’s how you come together as a team, you have to go through all these different experiences and just keep battling,” Reid said. “Am I surprised? I’m not surprised. I’ve been around them. But you never know until you’re there, right?”

KC’s first touchdown, achieved with a 77-yard drive in 13 plays, set the tone.

Well, check that. Reid jump-started the Chiefs by unexpectedly hanging new red pants in the lockers after getting approval from general manager John Dorsey.

“We flamed up. We were all red today,” exclaimed free safety Kendrick Lewis. “It gave us some momentum out there. The fans loved it and that’s how we got the party rocking.”

Indeed, the crowd (76,952) resembled the Arrowhead of old.

“It was like a sleeping red monster was awoken,” said Colquitt, a nine-year veteran of the Chiefs. “You could hear it when they started pounding on the chairs. That was cool. I’ve heard Arrowhead like that, but it was special today. Man.”

Now, about that first drive. Alex Smith did his best to create the frenzy. KC’s quarterback risked life and limb, in part because of a shaky line, by optioning, scrambling and diving for 40 rushing yards to get the Chiefs in position to score. On one play Smith ran to the boundary and literally did a backflip to convert a third-and-10.

“A first for me,” Smith said. “I never did anything like that.”

Hey, anything it takes. The Chiefs need that grit to grind out tight wins. Shoot, just about any win.

Go ahead, guess the name of the KC defender who got a key strip and recovery all by himself. That would be Ron Parker, a backup cornerback who crashed into the Dallas backfield and forced quarterback Tony Romo to fumble. This being Kansas City, Parker was informed that such plays made Derrick Thomas famous and were dubbed “KC strips.”

After pondering that reference for a moment, Parker said, “I want Derrick Thomas to know, ‘Your defense is behind you. I’m glad to make your play.’”

Against the Cowboys, that defense made a bunch. Five of Bryant’s receptions actually came in the first quarter. Romo completed 22 of 27 passes, but was sacked twice and, as he is prone to do, made a few mistaken reads.

Dallas’ run game was also nonexistent, generating just 33 yards on 15 tries.

Even the Cowboys’ boss, Jerry Jones, was inclined to praise the Chiefs.

“I am going to give Kansas City’s defense some credit because they kept us pretty disjointed on offense,” Jones said, before citing another instrumental move by the Chiefs.

“We were in it all the way down until the end,” said Jones, “but Kansas City took real advantage of it and it has everything to do, in my mind, with Andy Reid being their coach. He’s outstanding.”